Tata Institute of Fundamental Research

Answers for Chemistry GS2025 Written Examination

Examination Date: 08 December 2024 ​

(The correct answers are highlighted in yellow)

1.​ The energy of a 𝐾α X-ray from an element having atomic number Z is:

2
( )
𝐸 𝐾α = (10. 2 𝑒𝑉)(𝑍 − 1)

Which element has a 𝐾α X-ray line with a wavelength of 0.180 nm?

A)​ Ti (𝑍 = 22)
B)​ Co (𝑍 = 27)
C)​ Zn (𝑍 = 30)
D)​ Cu (𝑍 = 29)
2. Which of these reactions are spontaneous in gas phase?

i) Xe + He+ → Xe+ + He​

ii) Si + Cl+ → Si+ + Cl​
iii) F- + I → F + I-​
iv) Br- + Ar → ​Br + Ar- ​

A)​ iii and iv

B)​ i and ii

C)​ i, ii and iv

D)​ only ii
3. Atomic nuclear diameter is approximately 5 femtometer. What would be the approximate
velocity of an electron, if it was part of a nucleus with the weight of the electron being ​
9.109 × 10-31 kg?

(Note: c = velocity of light in vacuum)

A)​ 40 c
B)​ c
C)​ c/20
D)​ 2 c
4. The reactant (R) can convert into products P1 or P2 as can be seen in reaction profile
shown below. If you want R to be converted mostly into P1 you will:

A)​ Carry out the reaction at low temperature so that P1 is the major product for
thermodynamic reasons.
B)​ Carry out the reaction at low temperature (in a limited time) so that P1 is the major
product for kinetic reasons.
C)​ Carry out the reaction at high temperature so that P1 is the major product for
thermodynamic reasons.
D)​ Carry out the reaction at high temperature (in a limited time) so that P1 is the major
product for kinetic reasons.
5. Among the resonance forms given below, which one is the most stable one?

A) B) C) D)
6) Which of functions best represents the graph shown here:

( )
𝑥 −𝑥
A)​ 𝑒 −𝑒
𝑥 −𝑥
𝑒 +𝑒

B)​ ( ) 1+𝑒
1
−𝑥

C)​( )
−𝑥 𝑥
𝑒 −𝑒
𝑥 −𝑥
𝑒 +𝑒

D)​ ( )
𝑥
𝑒
𝑥
𝑒 +1
7. The derivative of 𝑠(𝑥) = ( ) (with respect to 𝑥) is:
1
1+𝑒
−𝑥

A)​ 𝑠(𝑥)
B)​ 1 − 𝑠(𝑥)
C)​ (1 − 𝑠(𝑥))𝑠(𝑥)

D)​ ( 1
1−𝑠(𝑥) )
8. Predict the major product from the following reaction.

A) B) C) D)
9. Equation of state of a system in canonical ensemble (N, V, β) is given by:​

(N is the number of particles, V is the volume, T is the temperature, Q is the partition

function, β = 1/(kBT), and < 𝑃 > means the ensemble average of pressure)

A)​< 𝑃 > = 1
β ( δ𝑙𝑛𝑄
δ𝑉 ) 𝑁,β

B)​< 𝑃 > =
1
𝑉 ( )
δ𝑙𝑛𝑄
δβ
𝑁,𝑉
C)​< 𝑃 > =
𝑉
1
2 ( )
δ𝑙𝑛𝑄
δβ
𝑁,𝑉
D)​< 𝑃 > =
1
β
2 ( )
δ𝑙𝑛𝑄
δ𝑉
𝑁,β
10. The number of stereoisomer(s) of trans-[CoCl2(triethylenetetramine)]Br is(are) ​

A)​ One B) Two C) Three D) Four

11. Ensemble average of Gibbs entropy (< 𝑆 >) is given by:

A)​< 𝑆 > = − 𝑘𝐵 Σ𝑘𝑃𝑘𝑙𝑛𝑃𝑘

B)​< 𝑆 > = 𝑘𝐵 Σ𝑘𝑃 𝑙𝑛𝑃𝑘
𝑘
C)​ < 𝑆 > = 𝑘𝐵𝑃𝑘𝑒𝑥𝑝(𝑃𝑘)
D)​< 𝑆 > = 𝑘𝐵𝑃𝑘𝑒𝑥𝑝(− 𝑃𝑘)

𝑘𝐵 is Boltzman constant and 𝑃𝑘 is probability of occurrence of state 𝑘 with energy 𝐸𝑘

12. Energy of a free electron plotted as a function of its momentum will be:

A)​ Hyperbolic
B)​ Oscillatory
C)​ Parabolic
D)​ Linear
13. The catalyst involved in carrying out the cross metathesis of 1–butene to give ethylene
and 3–hexene is:

A)​ RuCl2(=CHPh)(PCy3)2 (Cy is cyclohexyl)

B)​ Na2PdCl4

C)​ Co2(CO)8, H2

D)​ RhCl(PPh3)3
14. Ultimate spatial resolution of a microscope is related to the wavelength of the probe beam
as:

A)​ λ
B)​ 1/λ
C)​ λ2
D)​ (λ)1/2
15. Regarding the metal complexes [Co(NH3)6]3+ and [Co(en)3]3+ (en = ethylene diamine),
which of the following is true?

A)​ Both complexes have the same stability

B)​ Stability of [Co(NH3)6]3+ is higher than [Co(en)3]3+
C)​ Stability of [Co(NH3)6]3+ is lower than [Co(en)3]3+
D)​ No conclusion can be made regarding the stability of the complexes
16. In a spectroscopic measurement it is found that the spectrum is broadened with Doppler
broadening having the dominant contribution. Which of the following functions will best
( )
represent this spectral lineshape 𝑓 υ − υ0 ?​
(υ0 is the resonance frequency of the corresponding spectroscopic transition)

( )
A)​ 𝑒𝑥𝑝[− 𝑘 υ − υ0 ]; 𝑘 is a constant ​

2
B)​ 1/[𝐴 − (υ − υ0)2]; 𝐴 is a constant​
2
( )
C)​ exp ⎡⎢− 𝑎 υ − υ0 ⎤⎥ ; 𝑎 is a constant ​
⎣ ⎦

(
D)​ υ − υ0 )2
17. Consider the square planar platinum (II) complex [Pt(Py)(NH3)(Cl)(NO2)], where Py is
pyridine. Based on the given facts:
1.​ The trans effect order: NO2- > Cl- > Py > NH3
15
2.​ N NMR chemical shift of coordinated NH3: δ = -70 ppm
15
3.​ N NMR chemical shift of coordinated NO2: δ = +140 ppm (when N-bonded), ​
δ = -20 ppm (when O-bonded)
Which of the following statements is correct?

A)​ The major product of the reaction of this complex with excess NH3 will have
Cl- trans to NH3.
B)​ The 15N NMR spectrum of the complex will show two signals: one at -70 ppm
and another at +140 ppm.
C)​ The complex is optically active.
D)​ Treating the complex with AgNO3 will result in immediate and complete
precipitation of AgCl.
18. A solution of two non-interacting metal complexes, X and Y, are taken in a cuvette with
path length of 1 cm. The concentration of X is one micromolar (1 µM) and the concentration
of Y is two micromolar (2 µM). The molar extinction coefficients for complexes X and Y at
500 nm are εX = 1 × 105 M-1 cm-1 and εY = 2 × 105 M-1 cm-1, respectively. The absorbance of
the solution at 500 nm is:

A)​ 1
B)​ 0.3
C)​ 0.4
D)​ 0.5
19. Predict the approximate chemical shift and multiplicity of the 1H-NMR peak for the
proton at position ‘g’ marked in the structure shown below.

A)​ 3 ppm and double-doublet

B)​ 3 ppm and triplet

C)​ 5.5 ppm and double-doublet

D)​ 5.5 ppm and triplet

20. How many vibrational and rotational degrees of freedom does the following molecule
have?

A)​ 30, 2
B)​ 12, 3
C)​ 30, 3
D)​ 12, 2
21. A protein chain with even a modest number of amino acids can theoretically fold into an
astronomically large number of different conformations. If a protein were to explore each
possible conformation sequentially, even at an incredibly fast rate, it would take far longer
than the age of the universe to reach its native, functional state. However, consider the
following simple theoretical model for protein folding:

i) The protein is made up of only 10 amino acids​

ii) Each amino acid can exist in one of two states: one correctly and one incorrectly folded​
iii) In each second, one amino acid is randomly chosen​
iv) If the amino acid is in the incorrectly folded state, it switches to the correctly folded state​
v) If the amino acid is in the correctly folded state, nothing happens during that second

Starting from all amino acids in the incorrectly folded state, approximately how long will it
take on an average for such a protein to fold correctly?

A)​ 10 seconds
B)​ 30 seconds
C)​ 30 minutes
D)​ 30 hours
22. What would you obtain if you tried the following coupling reaction in a laboratory
setting?

A)​

B)​

C)​

D)​ Mixture of polymers

23. The ΔG° (at 300 K) for the hydrolysis of ATP (ATP → ADP + phosphate) is -28 kJ/mole.
In cellular cytoplasm, the concentration of ATP, ADP, and phosphate are buffered at 10 mM, ​
10 μM and 10 mM, respectively. This ATP hydrolysis is coupled to an enzymatic reaction (R)
that has a ΔG of +112 kJ/mol in absence of the enzyme. What is the minimum number of
molecules of ATP which must be hydrolyzed in order to have a thermodynamically favorable
net reaction (ATP hydrolysis + R)?

A)​ 1
B)​ 2
C)​ 4
D)​ Cannot be determined from the given data
24. Imagine that a system is in a state |α⟩. An observation is made on this system, where the
^ ^
operator is represented by 𝐴 and the final state is |𝑓⟩. The eigenstates of 𝐴 are represented by
{|𝑎𝑖⟩}. Which of the following statements is true?

2
A)​ The probability of obtaining |𝑎 ⟩ as |𝑓⟩ is |⟨α⟩|
𝑖

B)​ The probability of obtaining |𝑎𝑖⟩ as |𝑓⟩ is | ∑ ⟨α⟩|

𝑖

C)​ The probability of obtaining |𝑎 ⟩ as |𝑓⟩ is |⟨α⟩|

𝑖

D)​ |𝑓⟩ can be different from any of { |𝑎 ⟩}

𝑖
25. Predict the product of the following reaction.

A)

B)

C)

D)
26. Consider the quantum mechanical problem of a particle inside a 1-dimensional box where
the height of the well can be either infinite or finite (𝑉0 < ∞). Which of the following
statement is correct?​

A)​ All the eigenstates of the infinitely high box are lower in energy than the
corresponding states in the finite counterpart
B)​ All the eigenstates of the infinitely high box are higher in energy than the
corresponding states in the finite counterpart

C)​ The eigenfunctions are different but the energies remain the same

D)​ The eigenstates can be higher or lower depending on the height of the well
27. Consider the quantum mechanical problem of a particle inside a 1-D box with infinitely
high walls. Which of the following statements is correct?

𝑘𝑖𝑛
A)​ There is a well-defined kinetic energy, 𝐸𝑛 , associated with each state and hence,
𝑘𝑖𝑛 2
there is also definite momentum, 𝑝𝑛, since, classically, 𝐸 = 𝑝 /(2𝑚)

𝑡ℎ
B)​ The standard deviation of momentum in the 𝑛 state is 2 𝑚𝐸𝑛, where 𝐸𝑛 is the
𝑡ℎ
energy in the 𝑛 eigenstate

C)​ The expectation value of momentum in each state is positive ​

𝑡ℎ
D)​ The standard deviation of momentum in the 𝑛 state is 2𝑚𝐸𝑛, where 𝐸𝑛 is the
𝑡ℎ
energy in the 𝑛 eigenstate
28. The iodine test gives a blue color due to

A)​ Starch – 𝐼2 complex

−
B)​ Presence of 𝐼3

C)​ Decomposition of starch

−
D)​ Starch – 𝐼3 complex
29. For a system with 𝑁 indistinguishable particles and a normalized wavefunction ψ,
the probability of finding a single particle at position r1 is given as,​
2
( )
𝑃 𝑟1 = 𝑁∫ 𝑑𝑟2𝑑𝑟3 ... 𝑑𝑟𝑁|ψ(𝑟1𝑟2.. 𝑟𝑁)| such that the integral over P reduces to the

number of particles, i.e. ∫ 𝑃(𝑟1)𝑑𝑟1 = 𝑁. In a similar fashion, how would you

define the probability of finding two particles, one at position r1 and the other at r2.

2
( )
A)​ 𝐺 𝑟1, 𝑟2 = 𝑁∫ 𝑑𝑟3 ... 𝑑𝑟𝑁|ψ(𝑟1𝑟2𝑟3.. 𝑟𝑁)|

2
( )
B)​ 𝐺 𝑟1, 𝑟2 = 𝑁(𝑁 − 1)/2 ∫ 𝑑𝑟3 ... 𝑑𝑟𝑁|ψ(𝑟1𝑟2𝑟3.. 𝑟𝑁)|

2
( )
C)​ 𝐺 𝑟1, 𝑟2 = 𝑁(𝑁 − 1) ∫ 𝑑𝑟3 ... 𝑑𝑟𝑁|ψ(𝑟1𝑟2𝑟3.. 𝑟𝑁)|

( ) ( ) ( )
D)​ 𝐺 𝑟1, 𝑟2 = 𝑃 𝑟1 ×𝑃 𝑟2
30. Consider the following functions:
𝑥 −𝑥
𝑒 −𝑒
𝑓(𝑥) = 2

𝑥 −𝑥
𝑒 +𝑒
𝑔(𝑥) = 2

Which of the plots shown below correctly represents the above functions?

A)​ ​

B)​

C)​
 D)​

Correct Answer: D
31. A typical lithium-ion battery (4 Volt output) in a phone, powered using a 5-Watt charger
can fully charge in 1.5 hours. While using the phone if the average current drawn is 50 mA
and a with a single charging the phone runs for about 20 hours after which the battery fully
drains, which of the following is a reasonable estimate of the efficiency of the phone battery? ​
(efficiency = output power delivered / power consumed in charging)

A)​ 74%
B)​ 23%
C)​ 53%
D)​ 84%
32. Vitamin D3 precursor pre-cholecalciferol is produced from 7-dehydrocholesterol. Predict
the reaction condition used for the transformation.

A)​ acid
B)​ base
C)​ heat
D)​ light
33. D2O is heated using an electric heater in contact with it under a pressure of 1.0 atm such
that it boils. When an electric current of 0.8 A from a 10 V supply is passed for 210 seconds
it is observed that 0.8 g of D2O is vaporized. Which of the following values of molar enthalpy
and molar internal energy changes at the boiling point (374 K) are correct?

A)​ ΔHm = +42 kJ/mol, ΔUm = +39 kJ/mol

B)​ ΔHm = +11 kJ/mol, ΔUm = 0 kJ/mol
C)​ ΔHm = +39 kJ/mol, ΔUm = +42 kJ/mol
D)​ ΔHm = −42 kJ/mol, ΔUm = −39 kJ/mol
34. Ground state wavefunction of the hydrogen atom can be written in the following form:

ψ(𝑟) ∝ 𝑒𝑥𝑝⁡(− 𝑟/𝑎0)

And that for He+ ion can be written as:​

​
Φ(𝑟) ∝ 𝑒𝑥𝑝⁡(− 2𝑟/𝑎0)

What is the ratio of probabilities (expressed in percentage) of finding the electron in a small
volume shaped as a cube with dimensions 1 × 10-12 m at 𝑟 = 𝑎0 and at the nucleus for both
cases?

A)​ H-atom: 36%, He+ ion: 5%

B)​ H-atom: 23%, He+ ion: 8%
C)​ H-atom: 14%, He+ ion: 2%
D)​ H-atom: 11%, He+ ion: 14 %
35. Arrange the following molecules in decreasing rate of solvolysis.

A)​ A > B > C

B)​ B > C > A
C)​ C > A > B
D)​ C > B > A
36. Which of the following plots correctly represents the function ℎ(𝑥) defined below:

( )𝑒
2
𝑥 −5𝑥+6 −𝑥/5
ℎ(𝑥) = 𝑥−1

A)​

B)​

C)​

D)​

Correct Answer: C
37. Which of the following statements is correct?

A)​ A is chiral and B is achiral

B)​ B is chiral and A is achiral
C)​ Both are chiral
D)​ Both are achiral
38. Consider the cubic and orthorhombic unit cells, with internal angles = 90°, as shown
below. What is the angle between the face diagonals (AF and FC, marked by dashed lines) in
each of the cases?

A)​ Orthorhombic: 29.6°, Cubic: 60°

B)​ Orthorhombic: 45°, Cubic: 60°

C)​ Orthorhombic: 33.3°, Cubic: 109.5°

D)​ Orthorhombic: 49.4°, Cubic: 60°

39. The plots 1 and 2 represent changes in the concentration of a drug in the plasma as a
function of time. This drug was administered at the same dose to a patient either
intravenously or orally.

Identify which plots correctly represent the two administration modes:

A)​ Plot-1 is oral and Plot-2 is intravenous

B)​ Plot-1 is intravenous and Plot-2 is oral
C)​ Can not be determined as it depends on the nature of the drug molecule
D)​ Can not be determined as it depends on the dose of the drug administered
40. A compactly folded globular protein in an aqueous buffer consists of a single chain of N
amino acids. The radius (r) of the protein molecule scales with N as:​

A)​r ∝ N
B)​r ∝ N2
C)​r ∝ N1/2
D)​r ∝ N1/3